Selecting your Wedding Invitation

Once your ceremony site and reception hall are reserved, it is time to order your wedding invitations. Whether your invitation is engraved, handmade or letterpressed, your choice reflects the type of formality of your wedding and the reception to follow. There are numerous things to consider when choosing your invitation. Here’s some tips to give you a heads-up.

Wedding Invitation Printing Process

Engraved invitations are made by leaving an indentation or imprint on the paper and then filling the indentation with ink in the color of your choice. In the past, slow-drying inks are used and tissues are added to prevent the ink from smudging the rest of the paper. Although inks used presently dry in a short time, adding tissues still continue based on tradition. Engraved invitations are classic and traditional. They are the most formal, but are the most expensive. Plan on ordering your engraved wedding invitations at least eight weeks for delivery once you approved the design and content.

Thermography is the most popular alternative to engraved invitations today. This is the reverse of engraving. Thermographed invitations are prepared by sprinkling ink and very fine powder, or “dust” to words written out in a glue based solution. As heat is applied and the drying process takes place, the lettering becomes raised for an attractive and elegant look. Thermography costs less than engraving and still have that elegant look.

Letterpress uses a more complicated printing process that require metal plates and machinery to literally press the letters of your text into the paper. Most modern brides prefer the look of wedding invitations made by letterpress.

Handmade invitations can range from “do-it-yourself” process using computer software and printer to handmade paper with calligraphy writting.

What to Include in the Wedding Invitation

As you plan your wedding invitation purchase, keep in mind that a typical wedding invitation includes more that the invitation itself.  It may include:

• A reception card
• A response card
• An envelope for the response card
• Information for guests on where to stay
• maps to help then how to get to the church and reception
•  an inner envelope to contain all of the above
• an outer mailing envelope

More Tips for Ordering Your Wedding Invitations

Order your invitations at least 4 months before the wedding, except for engrave invitations, which take much longer to produce.  Once you have all assembled your invitation, go to the Post Office to get an accurate weight of the invitation so you’ll know how much postage to put on the envelope.   Currently the U.S. Postal Service considers that any envelope bigger than 11-1/2″ long and 6 -/2″ tall needs additional postage.  Also, an envelope shaped like a square needs extra postage, regardless of size.